If the Internet doesn’t reach all rooms at home, many people wonder how they can improve their WiFi. This is a common problem, especially in houses or large apartments. But it can be fixed with a few tricks and tools.
Internet in the living room, but not in the bedroom – for many people it is extremely annoying when the WLAN coverage in their own four walls has dead spots. Especially in times of full HD streaming and home office, a fast and stable connection to the internet is simply a feel-good factor. We have summarized below how your home WiFi can be optimized.
Optimize router placement
Thick walls with steel structures or thick pipes inside can severely affect the WiFi signal. If possible, the router should be relatively free, centrally located and, ideally, slightly elevated in the apartment. Sometimes it can be enough to turn the router’s antenna and align it so that it radiates in the direction where there is still too little WiFi signal. Finally, it is the router itself that can be optimized. Older devices in particular often do not have the range required for larger apartments or houses. One of the most powerful devices is the AVM FritzBox 7590. It is currently available from Tink for a slightly reduced price of just under 240 euros.
Click here for the AVM FritzBOX 7590 at Tink
Switch off devices that are not in use
Network coverage is not always the problem, but bandwidth. This means that the signal is strong enough, but too many devices are consuming it at the same time, preventing a stable connection. In this case, it is worth checking whether all devices really need to have permanent access to the network. This can still make sense for smartphones, but there are also devices that only occasionally need internet access, such as eReaders. It’s worth cutting off the WiFi connection and only reconnecting it when necessary. Devices that are permanently in one place, such as televisions or computers, can also be connected to the Internet using a LAN cable instead. This also creates space in the WLAN.
Click here for an offer of LAN cables on Ebay
Optimize WiFi with a repeater
Even with the latest device and the best settings, is the WiFi signal reaching its limits? One way to increase the range is with a repeater. It can simply be plugged into a socket. There it then picks up the existing signal, amplifies it and thus increases the range. It is also possible to use multiple repeaters to amplify the signal over longer distances. One disadvantage is that devices in the border area may constantly jump back and forth between the router and repeater signals. The advantage is the price. Some repeaters are available for as little as 20 euros. A branded device like the RE500X from TP-Link is more expensive, but it is currently 50 percent off on Amazon.
Click here for the offer for a TP-Link repeater on Amazon
Strong WiFi signal with a powerline adapter
The signal can be transported over longer distances without major losses using so-called powerline adapters. The power grid is used for this. This is particularly useful if the WLAN has to overcome larger structural obstacles, for example on the way from the basement to the upper floor. Powerline adapters are usually two devices, one of which is plugged into the socket near the router and the other where the signal has not previously arrived. Compared to a repeater, the signal strength is better with a powerline adapter, but the devices are also more expensive and consume more electricity. You can find a Devolo Powerline adapter on Ebay for just under 100 euros.
Click here for the Devolo Powerline adapter on Ebay
Optimal WiFi in the house via a mesh system
Almost complete WiFi coverage within your own four walls can be achieved with a mesh system. While repeaters and powerline adapters send either weaker or only selective signals, mesh results in a consistent and reliable WLAN.
A mesh system consists of several devices that communicate with each other via radio, similar to repeaters. The difference is that each device emits its own Wi-Fi signal in a decentralized manner, but it belongs to the same network. Cell phones, laptops, etc. can always connect to the access point that currently provides the strongest signal. Because the devices are connected to each other, the network offers the best possible performance at any location. If you already have a mesh-capable router, you can easily purchase any additional signal amplifiers. The disadvantage of such a system is the relatively high price. Tink currently offers a mesh starter set consisting of a router and signal amplifier.
Click here for the mesh starter set at Tink
Mobile WiFi with a cube
More and more Internet providers now have alternatives to classic WLAN access via the stationary router up their sleeve: a cube. This device emits a WLAN signal without requiring an Internet connection; a socket is sufficient. The signal can therefore easily be taken where it is needed. This can be practical, for example if you regularly move between two households but don’t want to pay for a full internet connection for both. There is no need to wait for the technician either. Surfing takes place via the mobile Internet, which is of course also subject to local fluctuations. The GigaCube from Vodafone is available from 34.99 euros per month with 100 gigabytes of data volume in the 4G network. If you need more data or want to surf the 5G network, you will pay an additional monthly fee.
Click here for Vodafone’s Gigacube offer
This is how you can optimize your WiFi at home
- Check router placement and optimize if necessary
- Disconnect unused devices from WiFi
- Connect stationary devices to the Internet with a LAN cable
- Use repeaters to amplify the signal
- Use power line adapters to transport signals over longer distances
- Use mesh system for even WiFi coverage
- Set up an internet cube for mobile WiFi
Where exactly the need for optimization lies in the home WLAN is very individual. In order to find out what the network coverage is in the apartment and possibly identify sources of interference, you can also use apps that measure the signal strength of the WLAN. Furthermore, it mainly depends on where the WLAN needs to be optimized and how much money you are willing to invest in the optimization.
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